The Kirby Historic District [†] is located approximately 3/4 mile east of downtown Muncie, Indiana. It is bounded roughly by Wolfe Street on the west, Lincoln Street on the east, the alley south of East Jackson Street on the south, and the alley north of East Main Street on the north. These boundaries correspond to those established for the district in the 1985 Delaware County Interim Report. Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory. The district represents a common trend in late 19th and early 20th century American cities; the development of suburbs around outlying farmsteads. In the case of the Kirby Historic District, the neighborhood developed around the Thomas Kirby House, located at 1353 East Jackson Street. Built hi 1839, the Kirby House is perhaps the oldest building within the present boundaries of the City of Muncie, and certainly one of the oldest hi Delaware County
The District includes twenty-six houses and one commercial building. All but two of the buildings are considered to be contributing. Together, they form a good collection of late 19th and early 20th century buildings which retain their architectural integrity and characteristic features. While the majority of the district's homes were built between 1900 and 1911, a smaller building boom occurred from 1927 to 1932. The houses were built as single-family residences and, for the most part, remain so today.
East Main Street is characterized by a number of turn-of-the-century residences which are elevated above street-level by a small rise, and setback from the street in a uniform fashion. Most of the houses have detached garages which are accessible through alleys rather than front driveways. There are several notable homes along East Main Street, including a 1909 American Foursquare home at 1400 East Main Street, two-story Queen Anne houses at 1420 and 1423 East Main Street, a brick Tudor home at 1403 East Main Street, and a 1927 two-story Colonial Revival home at 1401 East Main Street.
The curb on the north side of East Jackson Street is the southern edge of the lots which front East Main Street. Seven of the eight houses on the south side of East Jackson Street were built before 1910. Notable among them are the 1839 Greek Revival Thomas Kirby House at 1353 East Jackson Street, an 1880 Italianate home at 1333 East Jackson Street, and two Queen Anne frame homes at 1337 and 1423 East Jackson Street.
† Adapted from: Joseph P. Saldihar III, Graduate Assistant, Muncie Community Development, Kirby Historic District, nomination document, 1998, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Street Names
Jackson Street East • Lincoln Street • Main Street East • Wolfe Street